By the time Hull City welcome Millwall to the KCOM Stadium on Tuesday night, ten weeks will have passed since Kamil Grosicki last started a Championship fixture.

An ankle injury has accounted for much of the winger’s absence from the starting XI, yet in each of the last four games he has found himself waiting for a chance off the bench.

Perhaps that might have come away to Ipswich Town before the big freeze accounted for City’s trip to Portman Road today, but Grosicki’s stock is certainly not what it once was.

A player responsible for the first goal of Nigel Adkins’ reign, a stunning strike from distance in the 3-2 win over Brentford at the KCOM Stadium, has struggled to convince his head coach he is worth a place in the Tigers’ starting XI. Adama

Diomande got the nod against both Sheffield United and Barnsley, while at the end of January it was Jackson Irvine who was preferred on City’s left flank at home to Leeds United.

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Not since the Boxing Day stalemate at home to Derby County has Grosicki featured from the outset and each of his last five appearances for City have come as a substitute.

Kamil Grosicki of Hull City in an aerial challenge with with David Nugent of Derby County during the Championship match at the KCOM Stadium

So, with plans now turning to Millwall’s visit, is the Poland international ready to finally start? Adkins was able to offer no guarantees but suggested the winger’s omission has been down to more than just fitness levels.

“It’s beneficial that he’s had those games off the bench because he’s been out for a long period of time,” said Adkins, who could also turn to the fit-again Harry Wilson out wide against the Lions.

“We talk about different formations, with teams playing wing-backs that bomb on. When you haven’t got the football the emphasis is on the winger to track the wing-back back.

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“Likewise, when you’ve got good possession of the football, the emphasis is on the wing-back to your winger.

“If you’ve got good possession he can give the opposition big problems. If you haven’t, then he’s got to do the due diligence and run back the other way.

“When you look at the players who have played against us, they’ve had really good, forceful runners.

“For me, it was a risk defensively from Kamil’s point of view. But he’s working really hard on the training ground and those minutes he’s had will help improve his fitness levels. A fit Grosicki is massively important to us because I want to play with width.”

Even with his opportunities so limited since the turn of the year, Grosicki remains one of City’s most attacking weapons this season. Only Jarrod Bowen can better his haul of six goals, while Seb Larsson is his only equal on four assists.

Consistency has been the major issue for the £7m signing. Leonid Slutsky suggested Grosicki could win any Championship game “when he wants to” back in August, while team-mate David Meyler also said the former Rennes star had the potential to be the star of the division.

Grosicki’s path back into the first team is not straightforward following the arrival of Wilson on-loan from Liverpool but Adkins is confident the Poland international can rise to the challenge.

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“I don’t think he’s getting frustrated,” added Adkins. “He trained really well on Wednesday and every single player we’ve got knows they have to graft for the team.

“If we do that, the qualities we’ve got will come to the fore. We can’t carry any passengers. All the players have got to graft. You’ve seen that we’ve got a spirit about ourselves and a determination.

“With more players coming back now, we’ve got more competition for places. And with that comes the levels getting pushed up because if you’re not performing someone else will come in.”